Ma Ying-jeou (L) pays homage to his ancestors, Xiangtan County, central China's Hunan Province, April 1, 2023. /Xinhua
Ma Ying-jeou and his family paid a visit to his grandfather's tomb in the mainland's Hunan Province on Saturday morning, honoring the family's ancestors.
The tomb is located in the county of Xiangtan in Hunan.
Ma and his four sisters stood in front of the well-preserved tomb and carried out a solemn ceremony based on local tradition to pay respects to their ancestors. Ma presented flowers and fruits as sacrifices and used a local Hunan dialect when reading an article to honor his grandfather.
After the ceremony, the family took photos at the site.
Ma Ying-jeou takes a family photo on the site of his ancestor's tomb, Xiangtan County, Hunan Province, April 1, 2023. /Xinhua
During an interview, Ma said that over the years he had always wished to visit the site and pay homage to his grandfather, and this wish had now finally been fulfilled. He also noted that cherishing respect for ancestors is "a very important part of our Chinese people's ethical education."
On his visit, when local people greeted him by saying "Welcome home," Ma used the local dialect and answered, "the Xiangtan boy is back!"
The family also visited a local ferry pier, the construction of which had been financed by Ma's grandfather and other locals in the 1910s, to provide a free ferry service for the public at that time.